Flue cleaner



March 1, 1932. RUGARD 1,847,364

FLUE CLEANER Filed July 25, 1930 INVENTOR r7222 flaw? ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1, 1932 f n-x121. weekl or c mma, wasmir oron FLUE CI Application filed July 25,

This invention is directed to fiue cleaners" or sweepers wherein provision is made for the. manual reciprocation of the cleaner longitudinally of the flue, with the cleaning elements held in cleaning contact with the walls of the flue under the influence of a weight.

The primary object of the present inven- 1 tion is the provision of a flue cleaner of this type wherein the cleaning elements involve" two sets of brushes mounted on and connected to relatively movable frames, one of the frames being supported, as by a cable or the like, for the operation of the cleaner and the; other of the frames being connected to aweight, the relative separation of the frames: compelling a spreading movement of the respective sets of cleaners to engage the sides of the flue and scrape therefrom any accumulated soot or dirt.

The invention is illustrated in the accom-- panying drawing, wherein Figure l is a side elevation of the improved flue cleaner constructed in accordance with: the present invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view taken at ri angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1. p

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective viewof one of the removable cleaners.

The improved cleaner comprises a mainframe made up of relatively reversed rod loops 1, each including spaced parallel side. bars 2 having a rounded terminal 3. The rod loops are arranged in relatively reverseda order so that the rod loop of one, hereinafter termed the upper rod loop, is at the uppermost end of the frame, while the rod loop 3 of the other, hereinafter termed the lower rod loop, is at the lowermost end of the frame. A plate 4 is secured to the free terminals of the bars 2 of the upper rod loop, this plate, being thus arranged adjacent the lower end of the frame. A similar plate 5 is secured to 1 the free terminals of the bars 2 of the lower rod loop, this plate being thus-arranged near the upper end of the frame.

The plates 4 and 5may, if desired, be of the shape illustrated more particularly in Figure 3, constituting in effect diametrically opposed slidable. Thusthe plate l'is-fixe EANER' 930; Serial No: 470,045;

. pairs of arms-7. The plates are'fixeditoxtiie respective rod loops in one .diametri'c pair'of arms and the :other diametric'pai-r of arms of the plate are formedwith OpeningsS thnough whiclrthebarsof theotherrod loop amrf-reelyi'u diat the lower endi'offlthe upperrod loopand slidably recei-ves the bars of the lowen rod loop, while the'plate'5 is fixed to the barsof thelower rod loop and slidably receives the bars of'the'npaiw per rod loop. i

Intermediate the bars 4 and 5-is arranged anotherplate 9, hereinafter'termed the-operating plate, this plate being, if desired; of the same form: as a the plates 4. and 5 in plant? with the respective arms formed? with openings to permit free sliding movementv of a the bars 2 of both rod loops. Pivotallys connected to certain ofthe arms: of the upper. plate 5 arecleamng arms- 10,- these arms extending td 'm a point below-.- the operatingplate- 9: and! terminally provided; with cleanin g brushes, to be; later described.

Li-nks -11v of the particular" shape shown llt; o @plateand to the arms 1-0 intermediate= their are terminally connected to the operatingfi ends- Similar arms 12-are pivotally suported on, the operating plate andconnected By links-13 correspondingto links 151 to the plateA, secured atthe lower end oftlie uppem'fio rod loop.

The cleaning brushes are shown more-particularly in Figure fl, each oomprisingznpper and-lower strips 14 and 15 of right angle form in plan and secured together by 11. 385 plate 16 having a portion 17 underlying. the

lowermost strip, the rear portion of the plate being bent at right angles totheportioml? andits upper portion 1 8 bent backwardly or rearwardly onto the .upper strip 14 ther clamping action thus secured holding. the strips lat-and; 15411 position to receive: and grip brushing or cleaning: elements 1 9, pneferably wire brushes, arranged between the strips and projecting therebeyond.- That *portionof the plate 16 at the apexof; the

strips 14 and 15 is formed with an opening act-o fitIOVGI. the lower end of one-of thearms 10 or-l2, the arm being: suitably reduced for thisconnection, and a=nut-or other fnstening 7 gitudinally of the flue the cleaning brushes means, such as a wing nut 21, holds the cleaner in fixed relation to the particular arm. It is understood that each of the arms are provided with a cleaner of this right angle form so that considered collectively the arms carry a series of cleaners which provide a cleaning area corresponding to the shape and at least coincident with the periphery of the flue to be cleaned.

A cable or other supporting means, as 22, is secured to the terminal 3 of the upper rod loop, a weight 23 being correspondingly secured to the terminal 3 of the lower rod loop. As the cleaner is lowered into the flue, indicated at 24, the weight 23 acts to move the plates at and 5 toward each other, the lower rod loopimoving under the influence of the weight andthe upper rod loop being prevented from tree downward movement by the operator in his grip on the cable 22. In this relativemovement,the arms 10 and 12 are. swung outwardly incident to the provision of the links 11 and 13 in an obvious manner. Thus the cleaning brushes are brought into contact with the surface of the flue 2e and as the cleaner is reciprocated lonremain in contact with the flue under the influence of the weight 23 and thus the soot and other refuse is readily scraped from the I Y flue and falls into the bottom of the latter,

to be removed in any convenient manner.

I cla1mr- V 1. A flue cleaner including rod loopscomprising parallel rod sections and loop sections, said rod loops being arranged in opposed relation with the rod-sections parallel and equi-distant from each other, an upper" plate slidably receiving one of the rod loops and secured to the other and-adapted to hold said rod loops in relative positions, a lower freely through the intermediate openings in AXEL RUGARD.

- plate secured to the rod loop slidably received separate brush-carrying means pivoted to by the upper plate and slidably receiving the rod loop secured to said upper plate, an in- "termediate plate having openings through which the parallel rod sections freely pass,

the upper plate and the intermediate plates,

- and links connecting the brush-carrying means and the intermediate and the lowermost plates.

2. A flue cleaner, comprising a rodloopedat its lower end toiprovlde vertical legs, an

upper plate secured to the free ends ot said legs, said plate having oppositely disposed openings intermediate the legs, a second rod looped at its upper end to provide vertical legs, a lower plate secured to the free ends a of the legs of said second mentioned rod, said lower plate having oppositely disposed openings intermediate the legs of said second mentioned-rod, the legs ofthe first mentioned rod passing freely through the intermediate openings in the upper plate and the legs of the second mentioned rod passing 

